Eeyore's
Birthday Party, now in its 41st year, is the way Austin celebrates the
coming of spring.

"It's where people come out of the doldrums from the cold, wet winter,
and it's springtime in austin, everything's in bloom and it's all new,
and thus, everybody's ready to get out and do something fun," says
Eeyore's Birthday volunteer Kevin Rollins.

Eeyore's
Birthday started when University of Texas student Lloyd W. Birdwell, Jr.
found an excuse to have a big spring party. Inspired by one of A. A. Milne's
Winnie the Pooh stories, the friends and their guests gathered with honey
sandwiches, a garbage can filled with lemonade, a May pole, and a donkey
with flowers draped around his neck to celebrate spring time. The event
has since become an Austin tradition and is held every year at Pease Park,
with costume contests, relay races, face painting, and other events for
adults and children.

"It's an Austin event because it brings the old Austin to the new
Austin, and so a lot of people who have been in Austin for a long time
come to the event, but then a lot of people who are new to Austin also
come to the event," says Snow White, an Eeyore's Birthday volunteer.

Eeyore's
Birthday has also grown into something that benefits the Austin community.
Though the event itself is free, sales from the concession stands benefit
local non-profit organizations.

"For us to be able to throw a party and be able to get all these
beautiful souls to come out and help other beautiful souls," says
Rollins. "It's just this symbiotic relationship that's really hard
to put words to, but it's just a beautiful love thing. It touches your
soul. It's just a great, great thing."